Sailing at Dana Point

With the America's Cup underway a few hundred miles north, seven students set out with Mr. Walker for their own sailing experience at Dana Point.  Notice the position of the boat relative to the horizon with Mr. Walker at the helm.  Then notice the position with Andrew at the helm.  It's no wonder that some of the students ended up going swimming.

 Alexis and Andrew

 Raymond and Andrew

 Mr. Walker

Raymond, Andrew, Mr. Walker, Tracy and Carrissa

Snorkeling at Laguna Beach

Though we arrived in Laguna Beach to morning fog and a forecast of low visibility, the weather cleared and the water calmed, yielding a perfect day for snorkeling.  As always, under Mr. Lawrence's expert guidance, the students on the trip had an educational adventure, learning about ecosystems and then seeing them firsthand as Mr. Lawrence explored the depths for creatures to share.  He inspired many of us to dive for our own specimens, and even led a couple of us through an underwater tunnel.  We're lucky to have his experience and encyclopedic knowledge on trips like this -- he literally brings his subject to life.

 Aliso Beach, south of Laguna.

 Mr. Lawrence instructs the group on the basics of snorkeling. Austin really enjoys how he looks in a wetsuit.

 Austin and Kevin with a snail

 Kristin

 The garibaldi is the California state fish, and is only found along the state's coast.

 The wavy-topped turban is only found between Laguna Beach and San Diego.  The cove where we swam has some of the largest in the world.

 Johnathan brought his GoPro for some underwater filming.

Mr. Lawrence wears special gloves for "hunting," and always manages to share his catch with the students on the trip.  Below, a young lobster (no, not quite ready for butter).

 Katie and Kate were a little nervous at first, but they warmed up to it.

 Spotted Damselfish

 Melissa and one of the many sea urchins in the area.

 The urchins have exploded in recent years, depleting the colorful forests of algae (below).

After the snorkel, several students took a leap off a nearby rock.  Cole launches himself here, right through a water spot on the lens (sorry!).

Hiking San Jacinto

Although we didn't plan to be there for the occasion, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway celebrated its 50th birthday on Saturday.  The free cupcakes we received at the top of the tram were just one of many unexpected surprises we had on our journey this past weekend.  Another: all 15 Webbies who went on the trip made the peak. A hearty group of hikers forged over rock and trail to a celebration at the peak involving salami, cheese, crackers, and even a brief meditation.  And despite a couple of altitude-induced headaches, this crew was defined by its happiness and spirit.  It had me wondering why we don't do this every weekend. Hmmm...

Free cupcakes set the tone for what would be a day-long picnic.

 The Wellman Divide, which connects the Palm Springs side of Jacinto to the Idyllwild side, was our spot for lunch and grand views.

 If you haven't heard, Dolly gets along pretty well with granite.

 Mr. Owers, Andrew, Alan, Adrian, Dolly, Danielle, David, Lauren, Robin, Bulat, Alvin, Lucas, Kristen, and Susan at the peak of San Jacinto, elevation 10,804'.

Kristen and Lauren (and Dolly).

 Bulat.  Of course.

 Lucas, levitating

 Did I mention this group was characterized by its happiness?

 Finally, picking our way down the boulders strewn around the peak.

 Susan, Danielle, Alvin, Alan, and David pose for a junior class picture.  Some among them were talking about a "20,000 Foot Club," which they plan to join by hiking all three 10,000 foot peaks TWICE.

The last of our pleasant surprises on the day was this deer we saw on the way down.  Thanks everyone for a fantastic trip!

Rock Climbing at Malibu

Rock climbing at Webb has boomed in recent years, thanks in part to an afternoon activity that takes repeated trips to Hangar 18, a local indoor gym. This practice gets translated to outdoor climbing with the outdoor program on the weekends, where students get the chance to practice their techniques in natural settings.  Last weekend's trip went near Malibu, where students first had to climb around a lake before getting to the site.  Special thanks to Dave Hamilton from Hangar 18 for helping with the trip, and to the faculty who led it, Ms. Blomberg and Mr. Dahlstrom.

Before top-roping, students had to scramble around a lake to get to the climbing site.  They ended up taking a dip there on the way home.

Surfing at Seal Beach

Dr. Durrer and Mr. Maffris took two vanloads of students surfing on Saturday, escaping the late summer heat.  Though many were beginners, it didn't stop them from having a great time.  And it didn't stop us from learning that Bulat might be the most photogenic surfer ever. 

 Alexis

 Bulat!  (Click to enlarge.)

 Bulat, Suyeon, McKenna

 Jonathan

 Lindsay and McKenna

 Bulat

McKenna, Kevin, Bulat, Johnathan, and Lindsay